Love and Other Cults (2017)

Love and Other Cults is the kind of coming-of-age drama that feels bruised but alive, finding unexpected humor in the awkward, painful business of learning how to be “normal” after growing up somewhere anything but. Director Eiji Uchida follows Ai with an unblinking compassion, and Sairi Ito gives her a raw, quietly magnetic presence that makes every small choice feel like a survival tactic rather than a plot point. The film’s vibe is gritty and humane, drifting between deadpan comedy and hard-earned tenderness as it watches two misfits recognize each other in a world that keeps trying to file them down. It’s not a comfort watch—its edges are sharp and its situations can be heavy—but if you’re on the fence, it rewards you with a fierce honesty and a strange, stubborn hope that lingers after the credits.

Love and Other Cults aims for a raw, coming-of-age portrait of a girl trying to build an identity after being raised in a commune, and it doesn’t flinch from showing how society can chew up people who don’t “fit.” The problem is that its mix of comedy and bleak realism can feel tonally awkward, and the story often drifts from episode to episode rather than building toward a satisfying emotional payoff. It also goes into grim territory involving exploitation and the sex industry, so if you’re expecting a quirky redemption story, this will likely feel punishing instead. Still, Sairi Ito gives Ai a wounded, watchable sincerity, and if you like messy, unvarnished character studies that leave you unsettled, it may be worth your time.